Explosive.



UNITED STATES Patented February 28, 190

PATENT OFFICE.

EXPLOSIVE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of'Letter's Patent No. 783,844, ,datedFebniary 28, 1905.

Application filed March 11, 1904. Serial No. 197,684.

To all] whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. MITCHELL, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Reynolds, in the county of White andState of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful I mprovements in Explosives; and I do'declare the following to be a full, 'cleanand exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains.

to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

' My invention relates'to explosives,and more partimllarly to gunpowders, and while more especially designed for both small and heavy arms, yet its-application'or use is not limited thereto where itcan be otherwise effectively employed;

'lhe-object of the invention is to produce an explosive that will have high penetration power, that will not detoriate or be detrimender heat until the mixture is brought to about It is then removed, and while boiling-point. still in a heated condition]. add to it an extract of samlalwo d--for instance, red sandal or saunders woodmade by adding six parts of alcohol (preferably one l'i'undred and eighty-eight proof) to four parts'fof the sandalwood distilled in an open vessel until an extract having more or less the consistency of a thick oil is formed. After the mixture has stood for a period of ten minutes, more or less,

I add to the mass fifty parts ofpotash, (potassium chlorate.) The whole isthenstirred until the ingredients become thoroughly incorpo v rated or mixed. The mass is then dried in any suitable way sufliciently to permit trlturatlon and is then granulated by any suitable granulating or for use.

By the use triturating means and is then ready tain their granular form and will not again assume a plastic condition by the presence or acdalwood extract forming a-protective coating insoluble in water-.- The powder can also behand-led with perfect safety and without danger of portation. The explosive also possesses supeno poisonous or noxious gases are given off and the recoil 1s minimum. When the explosive is put up in the'form of cartridges or shells is found to leave no residue .in the shell or cartridge or gun from which it is discharged and that whatever gasis evolved is consumed in the barrel of the gun, so that no noxious mon with many kinds of explosives heretofore made. From experiments made the advantages specified are ascribed to the presence of the sandalwood treated with alcohol to forman extract, and the advantages mentioned are. based upon tests made with the explosive.

The theoretical composition of this explosive is given as follows: earbon,(C,)22.18 per cent. hydrogen, (H,-) 3.44 per cent; oxygen, (0,) 4E5.63tper cent; potassium, (P,) 14.92 per cent; chlori'n, (Cl.,) 13.53 per cent.;-undetermined, .30 per cent. The undetermined .30 per cent. is attributed to the employment of the roil'sandalwood. treated with alcohol in the composition.

The ignition-pointof the explosive in an 380.4 Fahrenheit. v

From the foregoing it willbe observed that the explosive has an oxygen;- yielding substance--for instance, potassium 'chlorate rior penetrating power and is smokeless and and ignited or exploded in the usual way, it

gases escape from the gun-barrel, as is com:.

open bath is 188 centigrade equivalent Lto 3 5- of the sandalwood treated in alcohol. to producethe extract I find that the explosive is not detrimentally affectedby at- I mosphericehanges and thatthe particles maintion of moisture, which is ascribedto the san-i explosion by concussion or jar during trans the same being a chlorate of an alkali or ah the same being an extract of sandalwood insoluble in water, particularly the constituents of red sandalwood soluble in alcohol.

. l have described with particularity the differentingredients and the proportions which I have found to give most satisf ctory results 1 based upon upon my experience in making the explosive; I but Ido not limit myself to the propqrtions nor to the articular ingredients whereequivalent mroportions and ingredients will produce'subst-antially the same results;- but in all cases the presence of the sandalwood extract is essential. By the use of'the phrase dalwood I do not mean toexclude the use of the cellulose of the wood, but use the phrase in the sense that it is the properties possessed by sandalwood that is made use of in the compound whether the cellulose of the wood be used'or omitted.

While I have described a chlorate explosive powder, yet my 'invention lies in the discov ery that the constituents of sandalwood soluble in alcohol serve as a preservative and pro-- tectlve agent against deleterious effect of moisture or waterupon the oxygen-yielding and carbonaceous substances of an explosive powder in addition to security against accidental explosion and greater power of penetration believed to result jfrom chemical changes due 7 extract of santo the-presence of such extract in the compo- 'sition. I,

Having described my in vention and set forth its merits, what I claim is-' 1. An explosive powder comprising oxygenyielding and carbonaceous substances,and sandalwood extract insoluble in Water, substan tially as described.

2. An explosive powder comprising oxygenyielding and carbonaceous substances,and constituents of red sandalwood soluble in alcohol, substantially as described.

. 3. An explosive powder comprising an alkaline chlorate and carbohydrates, and sandalwood extract insoluble in water, substan- (tially as de scribed.

4.,An explosive powder comprising an alkaline chlorate, saccharine matter, and sandalwood extract insoluble in water, substantially as described. 7 i

5. An explosive powder comprising potassium chlorate, cane and milk sugars, and constituents of red sandalwood soluble in alcohol, substantially as described.

6. An explosive powder comprising cane- Sugar, sugar of milk, potassium chlorate. and

the constituents of red sandalwood soluble in alcohol, in substantially the proportions specitied; v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES c. MITCHELL. \Vitnesses:

- PARIS NORDYKE, WILLIA i- Giross. 

